Press and daily Dakotaian. (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1880-1889, 1887-12-02
;5lallg Yets n,la 93akotaiaa
rHe LAMB GRAN S.

THE LAND GRAN S.
E3asaiar Mentions the Subject ia kAis
As2uat Egeport-Eie Mallcoads are TOO
greedy.
Washington, D.O,, Nov. 30-One OF
he most importantfsstures Oh Secretary
forthcoming annual report is
the part which relates to the adjust
of railroad land grants. He has
received this part of his report from the
printer. and 1t reads as follows:
Shortly after my appointment 10 the
position / now have the honor TO hold,
and as I b6esrne meRhRt familiar with
tna public tspd system, iis organization.
aud the working tbereoi l became more
q I'd more impressed with the fact that
public domain was being diverted
from Its legitimate purpose, and convert.
red to objects the inevitable effect oil
W Iich were repugnant to the entire
theory On when the system was based.
Apart from the methods of illegal sppro.
priation of the public domain effected
through the perversion OF the several
laws for acquiring title thereto l became
convinced that the administrators OF
congressional grants of land to wagon
and railroads had given rise to enormous
abuses.
Congress had not only made grants
which In some instances exceeded in ex-
tent the area of q half a dozen of the
largest and most %popnlous states Of the
union, but Ia addition provided that any
losses Of lands within the granted limits
should be satisfied by selections of lands
within other and adjoining limits, thus
nearly doubling the area of the original
grants. Under these acts the land de-
psrtment had withdrawn from public
appropriation not only tue grantee
limits as required by law, but also the
LANDS within the indemnity limits at the
request OF the grantee companies. Thu
enormous Quantities of the public lant
were held IN reservation TO await the
convenience OF the respective corpora
tions in the construction of their roads,
the selection of its lands and the uneer
tain adjustments OF the grants by TIL,
department.
/ do not for @ moment mean to ques
ton the wisdom Of aiding in the construc
ton of railroads. The policy was at tn,
time o wise one, bnt in the light of ex
perience 1t may we'll be asked whethe
it woald not have been wiRer to hay
aided these great enterprises otherwis
than by grants OF the public domain
Though much good has been wroueh
certain it is that the legislation by who
these vast territories passed under tn
inourable wound to tho homestes
| aahoroa kaS,ra khnk oato-a ha1 !, 70,
opportunity of displaying its beneiicen
efforts.
This land grant legislation wa
certainly not in harmony with the tht
DRY OF o distribution of the public dc
main among the people, and gave up t
the capitalist as a basis for traffic an
speculation and gigantic inancil
schemes what was by She original polio
Of the government designed to be home
for an industrious and thrifty people, th
abodes of domestic happiness and vi,
tue and patriotism.
Notwithstanding these indemnii
Withdrawals were made exclusively Il
the interests of the company few
these, if any of them, constructed the
roads within the time prescribed IN tt
granting act as an express condition c
which the grants were made. Maps
nprobable," general" designated
and definite" routes of said I5ad WEI
filed with rapidly in the department
and Withdrawals hereunder asked an
almost invariably granted until I'll
public land in states and territorii
were gridironed over with railros
grants and indemnity limits; and j
many instances the limits of one roa
overlapping and conflicting with otht
roads in the most b~ewildering manner,
that the settler seeking q home cou
scarcely find q desirable location til
was not claimed by some n or perhaI
! two or three OF the many roads to whit
grants of lands had been made by co
gress.
Nor was this this all. Though t
: desired tract might not be apparent
covered by q railroad location, the 8
tier would hardly select it before agei
Of the corporations would set up 9 ola
to it, or to the right to occupy and 9
nude it, under the right of way and CT
struction privileges conferred by I
granting act, Thus the settler, ignor
of his legal rights, and with no one
advice him with respect to either +
law or facts would. for the sake of pes
and. a home, readily consent TO pnrcht
from the company. In this way TIL
corporations, to the lands granted
them, have claimed sold and recel,
the price OF q great deal of other land
which they had neither legal norr
right, nor the shadows OF either.
The confusion, hardship and impt
tione praotlced upon the settlers W
greatly increased by the bold schemes
she corporate agents where Withdraw
were made of lands to which the lie
title OF the companies had not attach
Ia and which afterwards remained an i
same condition for years through
failure of congress tn make the nee
sary appropriations for the surveys,
X, When, however. through partial 9
yeys or adjustments of granite, lands T
sold by a company were found to be {
Ice side of the grants and determined
the department to be public lands,
=. purchaser from the company found p
self in the unfortunate predicament
having lost both his land and his MOI
Generally without tho means to Ell
into o costly litigation with q powe
corporation, the deprivation oil, his he
the expenditure and waste OF his ye
HE energy and strength, in redeem
that home from it's wild condition,
dered his mere technical righA OF &C
against the company butlittie more
a mockery.
Years have elapsed since many OF
grants have been made and other y
az since the Withdrawals. Some of the c
nspias hava conafrurfad the entire